Floodwaters continue to rise
Area water levels reported Sunday by the National Weather Service continued to push closer to and perhaps even exceed those reached in May of 1990.
Water levels at Spring Bank near Doddridge, Ark., edged up about a foot higher from where they were as of late Saturday, according to NWS reports.
As of early Sunday afternoon, NWS reports showed the Spring Bank area with 38.7 feet more than 18 inches above its 37-foot flood stage.
As for the Fulton, Ark., the river exceeded flood stage by nine inches as of 7 a.m., Sunday, measuring 27.9 feet—above its 27-foot flood stage— according to NWS figures.
As for Pecan Point about 13 miles north of DeKalb, Texas, it measured another inch higher then Saturday’s count, reaching slightly more than 34.6 feet as of 1 p.m. Sunday—about two inches higher then its 1990 crest at 34.4 feet and well more then 10 feet above its 24-foot flood stage.
NWS officials said the Red is still predicted to crest at 35.2 feet about 1 p.m., Monday, just a few inches below tying its 1938 record of 36 feet at Pecan Point.
About 160 miles upstream, Paul Balkenbush, environmental specialists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Tulsa District, said Sunday that Lake Texoma’s elevation inched up to slightly more than 645.6 feet, more than an inch since Saturday evening’s 645.4 count and still more then five feet above the lake’s 640foot flood stage.
“It’s very close to cresting at this time and it’s holding rather steady,” he said. “I expect it to crest sometime Monday (today).”
Regarding the Index Bridge crossing at the Red River between Texarkana and Ashdown, Ark., the water level has now climbed more than a foot higher than Saturday’s near 29.4 foot reading, according to NWS stats. As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the level reached 30.8 feet, nearly six feet above the areas’s 25-foot flood stage.
Miller County Office Emergency management officials couldn’t be reached for comment regarding ongoing evacuation and sandbagging operations at Garland City, Ark., of as of early Sunday evening.